The present invention relates to an anti-theft device which secures two wheels of an all-terrain vehicle and other vehicles and trailers to a stable surface. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus which secures an all-terrain vehicle to a stable surface by locking the front or rear wheels of the vehicle to the apparatus when the wheels are mounted on top of the apparatus and the apparatus is fixed to a stable surface, thereby prohibiting unauthorized movement of the vehicle either by its own power or by lifting the vehicle onto the bed of a truck or into a trailer for transportation.
All-terrain vehicles are one of the most popular recreational vehicles used in the United States. Over 476,000 all-terrain vehicles are expected to be sold to U.S. consumers in 1998 alone. The retail price of all-terrain vehicles ranges from $5,000 to $7,000. Due to the average weight of an all-terrain vehicle, approximately 400-500 pounds, the vehicles are capable of being lifted by individuals onto the bed of a truck for transportation and removed therefrom for use and storage. While the weight of the vehicle permits such human lifting, it also permits theft notwithstanding the current locking devices in the industry.
Currently, vehicles such as all terrain vehicles are locked using devices which prohibit a would-be thief from driving the all-terrain vehicle or similar vehicle without dismantling the locking device. The most common examples of these devices prohibit the full rotation of a vehicle's wheels, whereby the wheels are locked together or independently with a device which at some point in the rotation of the wheels interacts with the structure of the vehicle thereby prohibiting further rotation of the wheels. Other examples of locking devices for all terrain vehicles or other vehicles prohibit substantial rotation of the steering column of the vehicle, the most popular of which is The Club.RTM.. Therefore, the current locking devices on the market prohibit thieves from transporting the vehicle by its own power without removing the locking device.
Specific examples of prior art currently used for securing all-terrain vehicles include inventions disclosed in the following U.S. patents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,839 (Thering) discloses locking means which prohibit the complete rotation of the tires of a vehicle. The invention disclosed in '839 comprises end clamps which fit on the outside rim of a wheel and the outside surface of a tire. Said end clamps fit into two horizontally extendable and connected rods or bars which project across the width of the vehicle or wheel base, and a locking mechanism which comprises in part an exposed padlock.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,442 (Hammer) discloses a clamp assembly used to prevent a wheel from effectively rotating, whereby the invention disclosed therein partially surrounds the wheel of a vehicle and upon rotation of the wheel will engage in the undercarriage of the vehicle, prohibiting further rotation of the wheel. The '442 locking mechanism comprises in part a padlock, combination lock or other type of conventional locking mechanism which is attached within a lock casing to limit the unauthorized removal thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,462 (Apsell) discloses a clamp assembly which comprises a device partially surrounding the wheel of a vehicle and intended to prohibit full rotation of the wheel, whereby the locking device disclosed therein includes a padlock or similar lock which is engaged so as to prevent the insertion of lock cutters.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,260 (Zimmerman) discloses an apparatus for securing a single wheel of an ATV to a trailer. The invention disclosed in the '260 patent comprises a cylindrical sleeve fastened to a trailer, two wheel stop bars perpendicularly connected to said cylindrical sleeve, two lift bars attached to the cylindrical sleeve and chains attached to the other ends of said bars. When the wheel of an ATV is strategically moved into the apparatus as described in the '260 patent, the user need only lift the chains (thereby lifting the lift bars) and secure them to the stop bar, prohibiting substantial movement of the vehicle during transportation. The apparatus disclosed in the '260 patent is not intended to lock the device, and even if a locking mechanism was incorporated into the apparatus, it would be obvious to one skilled in the art that the apparatus could easily be dismantled by cutting through the chains.
Due to the weight of an all terrain vehicle and the resulting fact that ATVs can be lifted by human strength, these locking devices only prohibit a thief from moving the vehicle under its own power without disengaging the locking device, but fail to prohibit a thief from moving the ATV by lifting it onto the flat bed of a truck or the back of a trailer. Further, the locking devices of many of these inventions consist of padlocks and chains or other exposed locks which can be easily disengaged by simple cutting techniques. To date, there is no product on the market which locks an all terrain vehicle to a stable surface, i.e., the bed of a truck, a cement pad or otherwise.
Thus, there is a need for an apparatus which can lock an all-terrain vehicle to a stable surface when not in use. Further, there is a need for an apparatus which has embedded locking means which cannot be easily disengaged by thieves.